Glute Development and Your Inner Thighs

As you now have learned through the Unlock Your Glutes program the glutes are the powerhouse of the body and have such an important role in the body and how it functions. But did you know that your adductors(your inner thighs) might be the most important aspect to developing stronger, healthier looking glutes?

It’s true. And no I didn’t expect you to know that. After years and years of extensive research on the glutes and their relationship with the pelvis, it only made sense to dig deeper into the neighboring muscles, the adductor group. Sure, the hip flexors play a huge role in glute development and that definitely should remain a necessity in all training but so many individuals, including trained fitness professionals, miss the mark and overlook the adductors. And the crazy part is that they directly impact the glutes, primarily the gluteus medius (the upper butt muscle).

Now I bet you are already thinking to yourself…”how the heck can this small muscle on the inside of my thighs affect my glutes.” Well let me clear the air before I explain to you exactly what you need to do in order to achieve true glute AND adductor development. First off, the inner thigh is not just a muscle, it is a complex muscle collection that is actually larger than the muscles that make up the muscles of your hamstrings. The muscles of the inner thighs are collectively 3 main adductors – adductor longus, brevis and magnus and 2 others in the group, the gracilis and the pectineus.

Where these muscles connect to the pelvis is what we need to pay attention to. These muscles attach on the pelvis and can easily pursuade the pelvis to move and shift without much effort. One of the biggest impact your inner thighs have on your body is how it interacts with your glutes, especially that upper butt muscle. The adductor muscles have a great ability to pull and twist the pelvis if they are too tight. When this happens, your lower back muscles also get pulled and twisted and your glutes become restricted.

When the adductors are healthy, it’s easier for your pelvis to move freely maintaining proper alignment allowing the glutes to do what they’re designed to do. When there’s an imbalance or when something is lacking (usually strength & flexibility), signals are sent to the brain to lock the adductors, preventing the muscles from firing. This forces them to go into protection mode.

When this happens the gluteal complex becomes restricted and does not function properly. And when the glutes are restricted minimal development occurs. To exacerbate this issue, the lower back ends up taking the brunt of most glute related activity and that usually leads to back and/or hip pain…

Are you starting to see the parallel between inner thigh health and glute development?

If your adductors are weak and tight, your glutes cannot fully develop. Sure they will develop but only to a certain level but if you are looking to maximize your glute development, you need to firm, strengthen and lengthen your adductors.

About The Author

Brian Klepacki has over 16 years of experience and education in the fitness and nutrition world. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and holds a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science from Florida Atlantic University.